1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for input of a sequence of letters and/or numbers in a driver information system, in which the input of the sequence of letters and/or numbers occurs by a key or keys or by a device for speech input. In this type of method the letters and/or numbers are input one after the other.
2. Prior Art
Driver information systems for use in motor vehicles are already known, especially navigation systems, in which the input of a sequence of letters and/or numbers by a keyboard and/or a touch screen monitor is possible. Driver information systems are also known, in which the input of a sequence of letters and/or numbers by means of speech is possible. In these devices generally input of letters and/or numbers by means of a key or keys is also possible. However if the user has chosen one of the two possible input methods, by keyboard or by speech device, for input of a particular sequence of letters and/or numbers, during input by that method the input must continue by the chosen method until the termination of the input of that particular sequence of letters and/or numbers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of input that does not suffer from the above-described disadvantage.
These objects, and others, which will be made more apparent hereinafter, are attained in a method for input of a sequence of letters and/or numbers in a driver information system, in which the input of the sequence of letters and/or numbers occurs by keys or by a device for speech input. In this type of method the letters and/or numbers are input one after the other.
The method of input of a sequence of letters and/or numbers to a driver information system comprises the steps of:
a) activating the driver information system for input of the sequence of the letters and/or the numbers;
b) inquiring whether speech information is provided to the driver information system or whether a key of the driver information system has been pressed;
c) acquiring one of the letters of the sequence defined by the speech information or one of the numbers of the sequence defined by the speech information when speech information has been provided to the driver information system and acquiring one of the letters of the sequence defined by pressing the key or one of the numbers of the sequence defined by pressing the key when the key has been pressed;
d) ending the input of the sequence of the letters and/or the numbers by entry of a predetermined word or by pressing another key of the driver information system; and
e) during the input of the sequence of the letters and/or numbers, switching at least once between entry of the sequence by means of pressing the key and the speech information.
The method according to the invention has the advantage that it is possible to switch or alternate between input by means of speech information and input by means of keys during the input of a single sequence of letters and/or numbers. Especially the driver information system checks whether input should be occurring by means of speech information or by means of keys for each letter and each number in the sequence of letters and/or numbers. Since a user thus can alternate between the two input methods during an input of the sequence, then in the event of sudden surrounding noise, which can interfere with the speech input method, the user can switch to input by means of a key or keys. Furthermore it is possible for a user who is waiting in his motor vehicle at a traffic light to switch from key input to speech input as soon as the traffic light allows the user to travel on. Because of this feature further key input is avoided during driving, which can have a negative effect on travel safety. Furthermore switching between input methods can occur arbitrarily often during input of the sequence, until the entire sequence of letters and/or numbers is input into the driver information system. If the user must stop, for example, after only a few meters, he can switch without difficulties from the speech input to the key input again.
The possibility then of switching between different input methods is of special advantage in driver information systems. Then a driver information system, for example, can include a navigation device for navigation of a motor vehicle in a street network, into which a starting location and a destination must be input in the navigation device by a user. Input of a location name may often require input of a large number of symbols. The same is true for a telephone integrated in the driver information system, in which e.g. the calling number or name of a party to be called is input by the user. In both applications the input process according to the invention allows the user to use the particular input method that is best for the user at each moment during the input of the sequence of letters and/or numbers, also e.g. of a place name or a telephone number.
Further advantages of the invention are provided by the features claimed in the appended dependent claims and described in the subsequent paragraphs.
It is especially advantageous when the input of a letter or a number by means of speech input is suppressed as soon as a key is pressed and that speech input occurs again when the input letter or number is again detected by the driver information system, e.g. when a keyboard memory is read or when the letter or number is stored in memory by an input device. This avoids conflicts due to input by both keys and speech that exchange symbols in the sequence.
It is also advantageous when activation of the input occurs by activation of a function of the driver information system, e.g. the telephone function or the navigation function. An additional activation by means of a spoken command or by depressing a key is then not necessary.
It is also advantageous when an input sequence of letters and/or numbers is automatically completed by the driver information system. When a user of the navigation function of the driver information system gives a place name as a destination and after input of a number of letters when a combination of input letters may correspond to a destination name stored in the driver information system, the driver information system suggests this destination name to the user. The user can now confirm or reject this destination by speech input or by keys and end its input.
Furthermore it is advantageous that input of special symbols, e.g. xe2x80x9c+xe2x80x9d, besides the letters and/or numbers, for automatic completion of country selection, or control symbols can take place according to the method of the invention, so that the input of these symbols can also be controlled in the best manner for the benefit of the user.